Resident Evil: Razor's Edge
by PhantasmBabeIvory
Summary: A companion story to Tangled Web, set just after Claire is abducted and told from multiple POV's. Will detail Chris' search for his sister and reveal how he comes to find her. Story is better than the summary. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Resident Evil: Razor's Edge

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

_Author's notes: This installment is taking place at roughly the same time as chapters 6-8 of Tangled Web. I strongly advise you start with that story before reading on. This will primarily be told from Chris' viewpoint, with the occasional look into what Leon, Sherry, and Elliott's sister, Katherine, are going through. Enjoy!_

Chapter One

Unofficially, the first person to realize that Claire Redfield was missing was a seven-year-old girl named Katrina. It was on a Saturday evening. Katrina was concentrating on her math homework, or trying to. Behind her bedroom wall, she could hear the cat in the next apartment howling up a storm.

Katrina had seen and played with Claire's cat, Tyrant, enough to have taken a strong liking to him. Hating the fact that the feline was upset, she went to her father to voice her worries. This was what led to the superintendent, Frank, accessing Claire's apartment around 8:15 pm.

Tyrant was acting so out of sorts, rubbing against Frank's legs like they were old friends, that it raised some red flags. Even more concerning was the fact that the plastic white dishes on the kitchen floor were completely empty. Frank filled the water dish in the sink and then had to search around for a bag of dry cat food.

After Tyrant had been fed, Frank placed a call to Claire's cell phone. It concerned him when he got an automated message that the "subscriber was no longer on the network." He wrote out a short message on paper for her to call when she got in. In the meantime, he decided to make a conscious effort to keep an eye out for her.

On Sunday night, Frank checked in on Tyrant again. The cat's dishes were again empty. The superintendent checked his cell, growing ever more concerned when he saw there was no return call from Tyrant's owner. After confirming with several tenants on the same floor that they hadn't seen Claire for the past 48 hours, Frank called the police department.

The employees of the non-profit organization, Terra Save, found out their office supervisor was missing on Monday morning. While they were initially surprised to find the building locked when they drove in, the presence of three police detectives shortly clued them in on what was going on. Nearly all of the employees confirmed that the last time they had seen Claire Redfield was at a fundraising event on Friday evening and that nothing had seemed out of the ordinary. The odd one out was an employee who had been away on vacation – Amy Jennings.

Once Amy said that Claire had told her she'd started seeing a man named Elliott, several other Terra Save employees recalled that he had been at the fundraiser as a volunteer. Many were unsure of his last name. An investigation of Claire's apartment, however, turned up a handwritten note bearing the name, Elliott Gregory, along with a phone number. When Detective Robert Salvatore dialed the number, he got a similar automated message as the one reported on Claire's phone.

Getting ahold of Claire's older brother, Chris, was something of a challenge. Robert had to make quite a few phone calls to the headquarters of the B.S.A.A. (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance) and talk to quite a few unhelpful message takers before getting through to Chris. The latter didn't react well upon being told that his sister had been missing approximately three days. Robert was used to delivering bad news, but getting a military man like Chris to calm down took more time than usual.

At the same time, Detective Brenna Gilbert paid a visit to Elliott's home. Nobody came to the door when she knocked, but one of the neighbors happened to see Brenna milling about. Once she identified herself, it threw Brenna for a loop when the neighbor asked if the cops were finally starting to investigate _his _disappearance. Questioning the neighbor enabled the detective to learn that Elliott's sister, Katherine, had been stopping by the house and calling the police on a daily basis trying to find Elliott.

By Tuesday afternoon, Chris Redfield and Katherine Emerson were meeting for the first time within a private office in the police station. The former had just flown in from overseas, but was looking far more agitated than jetlagged. The latter was perhaps six or seven months pregnant, and the detectives were making an effort to keep her calm under the circumstances. At least they each had someone accompanying them to help mediate the situation. For Chris – his partner, Jill Valentine. For Katherine – her husband, John.

Chris and Katherine claimed to have no knowledge of each other's absent sibling, when asked separately prior to meeting. Both were looking so taken off guard by the questions that it was obvious they were telling the truth.

The detectives took careful note of the expressions on Chris and Katherine's faces when the former entered the private office and sat down. Both looked bewildered and curious about who the other could possibly be. Detective Salvatore did the introductions and filled them in, then said, "Here's what we know. Claire and Elliott were both last seen on Friday night by the owner of a banquet hall. He said he left them in each other's company. That's where the trail goes cold. We can't find any evidence that either of them returned home. Both their cars are unaccounted for."

Detective Gilbert cleared her throat. "We were told by one of Claire's co-workers that she and Elliott had recently started seeing each other. We're still trying to work out where and how they met."

Chris' eyes narrowed. "Is that really an issue? How about trying to find them?" he asked heatedly.

"That's what we're attempting to do, Mr. Redfield. But part of that includes retracing their steps in search of clues," Detective Gilbert said.

Chris scoffed. "Yeah, and the odds of my sister turning up dead increase while you people drag your heels!"

Katherine let out a pained cry at the harsh words. In response, Jill, seated beside Chris, put one hand to her partner's shoulder. The look shared between Jill and Chris had a calming effect on the latter.

"I'm sorry," Chris said to Katherine. "I wasn't trying to upset you. I just..."

Katherine finished the sentence when he faltered. "Want your family member to be okay. I know." She grabbed a Kleenex from her purse, wiping at her eyes. "God, I can't think of anyone who would want to hurt Elliott. This just doesn't make sense."

"What of Claire?" Detective Salvatore asked Chris. "Does she have any enemies?"

Chris looked so taken aback and conflicted over the question that Jill had to speak for him. "That's not an easy thing to answer."

"And why is that?"

Chris cleared his throat. "When I last spoke to her – last week, that is – she didn't mention any problems. But she doesn't always tell me everything because she knows I'll worry." He paused. "As far as enemies... There's too many to name, for both her and me. Comes with the territory considering the line of work we're each in."

For Katherine's benefit, Jill added, "Chris and I work for a special ops division of the military. Claire is part of a human rights organization. Neither business is known for always making friends amongst the public." Jill paused. "What is it that Elliott does?"

"He's a journalist and blog writer," Katherine said. "To my knowledge, he doesn't write anything that would promote hate mail." She exchanged a look with her husband when he clasped her hand in his. "Elliott would have told me of any threats."

Detective Gilbert leaned forward. "I hate to have to ask this, Mrs. Emerson, but we have to cover all bases. Is it possible that Elliott could be responsible for Claire's disappearance?"

Both detectives were surprised when Chris beat Katherine to the punch. "Absolutely not!" Chris said. "Claire's too well versed in combat techniques for that. I taught her everything I know."

Katherine's gaze hardened. "Then maybe I should ask you if the reverse is possible," she said to Chris.

Jill jumped in before her partner could speak. "Chris, don't you dare say anything you'll regret!" Jill said sharply. She looked at Katherine. "Claire's not the type to hurt an innocent person. And throwing accusations around is not going to help us find either of them!" Jill let out a breath. "There are some people that Chris and I could call to see if they might know something."

Katherine's husband, John, looked inspired. "That's not a bad idea, Kat," he said. "We could give Elliott's co-worker, Jason, a try."

Chris and Jill were shown to a separate room by Detective Gilbert to make their calls. Chris was soon dialing a number that he'd only called once in eight years. After three rings, the line was picked up. The feminine voice, however, was one that Chris neither recognized nor expected. "Leon's cellphone. Can I take a message?"

Chris found his voice after a second or two. "Who is this? Where's Leon?"

"Ingrid Hunnigan. And he's in a meeting right now. Can I take a message?"

"Tell him it's Chris Redfield. I need to talk to him in regards to Claire as soon as possible! Have him call back the instant he's available!"

"Chris." The sound of Leon's voice threw Chris for a loop. "Sorry about that. I've been having my calls screened as of late. What's up?"

Chris cleared his throat. He threw a glance at Jill when she demanded in a raised tone to speak to Sherry Birkin. Apparently, Jill was encountering opposition on her own call. To Leon, Chris said, "I was hoping you might have heard from my sister within the past week."

"Just an email. Nothing worth repeating. Why?"

Chris sighed. "Leon, not that I don't trust you, but I need you to be perfectly honest. Has she mentioned anything lately that might be cause for concern?"

There was a definite edge to Leon's tone when he responded. "Apart from the incident at Wilpharma, no. And you already know about that one. What's going on, Chris?"

Chris closed his eyes. Saying it aloud made it seem all the more real. "Claire's missing."


	2. Chapter 2

Resident Evil: Razor's Edge

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Two

Leon listened quietly while Chris brought him up to speed. The former reiterated that he didn't have any insight into what had happened. When Leon hung up the phone, he didn't put it down right away. He didn't even realize how pale he was until Hunnigan commented on it. He looked over at the desk agent who often provided him with Intel when he was away on a mission. "I'm fine," he said halfheartedly, lowering his hand. "I just got some bad news about a friend."

Leon sank into the nearest chair, simply staring into space. He was still trying to make sense of it. He couldn't decide which revelation was bothering him more – that Claire had vanished without a trace or that some guy she'd just met may be responsible. Leon didn't have many opportunities to interact with Claire on a face-to-face basis, but he still cared about her very much. He couldn't even imagine what Chris was going through.

Leon looked at Hunnigan when she spoke his name in concern. He leaned forward, clearing his throat. "Do me a favor, Hunnigan. Try running a criminal background check on the name, Elliott Gregory."

"Okay, but you're going to owe me." She pulled up the necessary application. As the computer was searching, Hunnigan said, "This girl, Claire, must be special. I don't usually see you this worked up." Leon simply nodded in response. Hunnigan focused on her screen when the site finished loading. She was nothing if not professional. "Okay, am I looking for the person in Silver Springs, Boise, or Monterey?"

"Silver Springs," Leon answered.

Hunnigan took a few moments to read through the document she pulled up. "Just one prior for shoplifting when he was a teenager. And... It says he was arrested for a domestic dispute three years ago, but that the charges were dropped. Otherwise, he's clean."

Leon knew better than to ask Hunnigan to dig any further. She would never say aloud, but he knew she was irritated by the number of times he'd asked her to play secretary. He simply thanked her, then excused himself and headed outside. He'd been ending his shift when Chris had called; the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Once he was seated in his car, Leon looked down at his cellphone with a sigh. He hated to admit it, but he just might have to contact the one person he'd been dodging. He pulled up the history of incoming calls and selected the dial option for the most frequent number. The line was picked up almost immediately, and a svelte, sexy feminine voice reached his ear. "Hello again, Leon. Finally decide to forgive me for what happened in Spain?"

Leon felt a surge of anger. "Reminding me of why I didn't want to talk to you is hardly the way to start the conversation," he said curtly.

"You're taking this far too personally, Leon. It was just business."

"Business? Is that what you call holding a gun to my head?"

A soft laugh that came over the line grated at him. "Don't pretend you didn't know the line of work I'm in. It's just unfortunate that you had the sample I needed to fulfill my contract. And I knew you wouldn't hand it over willingly."

Leon had to remind himself that, as a freelance spy, Ada had resources that the Secret Service lacked, or he would have hung up. "I'm not calling to mend fences. I need your help."

Ada seemed intrigued. "Must be serious if you're willing to resort to treason, Leon."

Leon recoiled. "I'm not going to pay you!" he said sharply.

She didn't sound riled in the slightest. "Then it seems we have nothing further to discuss. Give me a ring if you change your mind."

Leon frantically called out her name, but it was too late. She had already hung up. Frustrated, he threw the phone at the dashboard. "Damn it!"

It took several moments before his breathing slowed, and he rubbed at his eyes. "What are you doing, Leon?" he muttered to himself. While he hated the idea that something bad may have happened to Claire, it was possible he was acting irrationally. It might be better to wait and see what the police investigation turned up. But if the cops didn't find anything within a week, he just might give Ada another call.

/*****

When Chris looked at his partner after getting off the phone with Leon, he was surprised to see her in a state of agitation. There was very little that riled Jill Valentine. "What'd you find out?" Chris asked.

Jill glanced at him with a sigh. "That Sherry's government handler, Derek Simmons, is an insufferable bastard. He wouldn't let me talk to her. But he said he'd pass the message along when I told him about Claire." Jill gestured to her phone. "He said he'd call back within an hour or two." She looked back at Chris. "I'm guessing by your expression that Leon didn't provide the answers you wanted."

Chris nodded. "I hope that Sherry does. If there's anyone that Claire would for sure confide in, it would be her," he said. After a moment, he turned to look out into the police station. "I don't know if I should ask Elliott's sister if she's learned anything."

Jill's eyes softened. "She may be wondering the same about you." When he didn't move, Jill added, "While we were on the plane, you talked about visiting Claire's apartment. Did you want to head there or talk to Katherine?"

"Let's start with Claire's apartment," Chris answered after thinking it over. "But we shouldn't leave without giving Katherine a head's up."

Detective Gilbert was waiting for them when they exited the room. She too asked Chris what he'd found out and looked disappointed when he said he'd come up empty. Nevertheless, Detective Gilbert had some news for them. "Our lead tech expert accessed Claire's email account. And we found one that was sent to her a week ago that looks questionable." Detective Gilbert opened a manila folder she was holding, handing a single printout to Chris. "I was hoping you might be able to make sense of it."

Chris read the highlighted message aloud. "Keep track of your phone, and nothing bad will happen. Signed, a friend." He hesitated, shaking his head. "Where did this come from?"

"It's been traced back to a cyber cafe in Paris," Detective Gilbert answered. "Near as we can determine, someone walked in and created a temporary email account just to send a single message. The cafe doesn't use video surveillance, so we can't identify the sender. The footage from outside doesn't help much either. It was raining out that day, so many of the visitors were using umbrellas or wearing raincoats." The detective paused. "Did you look at the email address or subject?"

Chris' eyes darted to the other highlighted parts of the printout. His gaze narrowed when he saw the subject line read _Reach for the S.T.A.R.S._ and the email was _RogueChild at Raccoon City dot com. (_Author's note: Formatting the email address like this is the only way to get it to show up.)

Jill took the printout and scanned it when Chris handed it out toward her. She shook her head in confusion. "This sounds more like a prank than an actual warning."

"If Claire weren't missing, I'd be inclined to agree with you, Miss Valentine. I don't want to rule anything out," Detective Gilbert said. "I know that you and Mr. Redfield used to belong to an organization called S.T.A.R.S. based in Raccoon City. Do you have any idea who might have sent this?"

"I'm sorry. I don't." Chris rubbed the back of his head. "If I find out who did, I'll let you know." Chris paused. "I wanted to visit my sister's apartment. Is that okay?"

"Of course," Detective Gilbert said. "We've gathered all the evidence we could. And I know that Claire's landlord, Frank, asked to speak with you." The detective's voice softened. "Frank said that the rent has only been paid through this coming Friday. And then there's the matter of your sister's cat."

Chris nodded absently. "I'll talk to Frank." He focused on Detective Gilbert. "Can you let Katherine know where we've gone and that we're waiting to hear back from one of Claire's friends?"

The detective nodded. "I will."

/*****

The instant that her government-employed caretaker, Derek Simmons, suggested that they take a walk outside, 20-year-old Sherry Birkin knew that something was wrong. Outings were so scarce for her that Sherry had to borrow some winter clothing from one of the CIA's female agents. The air was so frigid that Sherry adjusted the puffy blue coat so that it covered as much of her face as possible. Resisting the urge to ask to go back inside, Sherry asked, "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Simmons hesitated. "Perhaps we should sit down first."

That made her even more anxious. "I don't want to sit down!" Sherry said. "Just talk to me."

He sighed. "Very well. I've just been informed that Claire Redfield went missing sometime last Friday evening."

The news hit Sherry like a ton of bricks. Simmons put one hand out to steady her when her knees buckled. She hated that he hadn't sugarcoated it. "That can't be." Sherry looked up at Simmons. "What happened?"

"Her brother hopes that you may know. Has Claire said anything in any of her recent emails that may provide clues?"

Sherry tried to think, but couldn't recall every last detail of the weekly emails. She shook her head. "I'm not sure."

Simmons sighed again. "One more question then. Do you recognize the name, Elliott Gregory?"

Sherry looked downward. "The first name sounds familiar," she said hesitantly. "I... I think Claire might have mentioned him in her last email. I'd have to review it." Sherry struggled to remember the name of Claire's brother before saying, "Did Chris say who this guy is? Is Elliott responsible for her disappearance?"

"Unknown," Simmons answered. "All that Chris knows is that this Elliott vanished at the same time as Claire. Take from that what you will."

Sherry wrapped her arms around herself; it had nothing to do with trying to keep warm. She had been a ward of the CIA since she was twelve for her own protection. Claire was one of the few friends that Sherry had and the only one that visited on a semi-regular basis. "If you don't mind, Mr. Simmons, I'd like to check my email now."

Once she was back in her room, Sherry started her computer, drumming her fingers on the desk while waiting for her operating system to load up. She had the last message from Claire open in seconds.

_Hey, Sherry. Hope you're continuing to do well_, the message read. _Wanted to know if you've gotten around to watching __V For Vendetta __yet. I'm dying to know what you think of this particular dystopian future. Do you think it's better or worse than Dark City__? Also, wanted to let you know that the issue with the fundraiser I'm hosting worked itself out. A new acquaintance of mine named Elliott offered to help. He claims to have some experience as a chef. Hope he's not lying about that._

Sherry smiled at the bubbly tone of the email. Communications from Claire always brightened her day. Yet at the same time, Sherry felt depressed at the thought that this may be the last one she'd receive for a while.

Letting out a deep breath, Sherry read through the rest of the email. _I'll write you as soon as I can to share more details. I may have some more news about Elliott in my next email. I met him earlier this week by chance, but I think we're hitting it off pretty well. I've gone out with him twice. I'll leave it up to you whether or not him acting as a volunteer for my company counts as a third date. Ha ha, I can just hear you squealing when you read this, Sherry. I will definitely keep you posted. We'll both have to see if this new relationship of mine goes anywhere. Talk to you later. Love, Claire. P.S. Is Simmons still treating you as a human guinea pig? If so, he and I will have to have words during my next visit._

Sherry involuntarily laughed at the last two sentences. She went back to drumming her fingers on the desk for half a minute. She abruptly highlighted the bulk of the message, copying all but the part about Simmons into a word processing program. She imagined her caretaker would want to forward the message to Chris Redfield.

Sherry printed the document, but didn't grab the printout right away. Folding her hands together and closing her eyes, she silently prayed that Claire would soon be recovered safe and sound.

/*****

Jill was disturbed by how quiet Chris got once the two of them were let into Claire's apartment. The landlord, Frank, quietly asked them to come see him when they were ready and left them to their own devices. For a long while, Chris simply moved about the room, his hand occasionally resting on some random object. Jill finally felt compelled to say something. "If I'd known that being here would be too much for you, I would have insisted on coming alone," Jill said.

Chris didn't turn to look at her, though he was prompted to speak. "There's something about this place that really made it hit home." He turned toward the window, planting one hand high up on the wall. Jill knew him well enough to catch the distress in his voice when he spoke. "When we last talked, I promised Claire I'd call her sometime today. I've never wanted to hear her voice so badly in my life. How could she just vanish?"

"That's what we're going to find out, Chris," Jill said. "We'll find her. I promise you that."


	3. Chapter 3

Resident Evil: Razor's Edge

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long for an update, but hope this makes the wait worthwhile. I'll try to get the next chapter out quicker.

Side note: This takes place during Claire and Elliott's first day of imprisonment.

Chapter Three

Tyrant announced his presence in the room by mewling at Chris. Neither he nor Jill had seen the cat when they walked in; Chris guessed that Tyrant had recognized his voice and come out of whatever hiding spot he'd claimed. Crouching down and scratching behind one of Tyrant's ears, Chris said, "Hey, kitty. I bet you're missing her as much as I do."

Jill smirked. "I can't believe Claire named him Tyrant. I still have nightmares of this cat's namesake."

"Way to tempt me in getting a pet and calling it Nicholai. Or better yet, Nemesis."

Jill threw her partner a scathing look. "Not funny, Chris." She sighed. "We obviously can't take Tyrant with us to the hotel. What do you want to do?"

Chris' brow furrowed. He was silent for a long moment. "I'm not sure. Not about Tyrant or the apartment. Claire..."

When he didn't say anything further, Jill's gaze softened. "Yeah, I know. We don't know how long it will take to locate her. Who do you think the target was, her or Elliott?"

"I'm hoping he was. That would mean we're dealing with more of an amateur. The bad guys in our world have gotten too good at this game." Chris looked up at her, eyes narrowed. "You don't think that Wesker...?"

"Chris," she said sympathetically. "You know I've never been a fan of Wesker since Arklay, but he can't automatically be our go-to guy for everything. He hasn't bothered or been in contact with your sister in almost a decade. Why would he do something to her now?"

He scowled. "Way to steal my thunder," he said sarcastically.

Jill wasn't the least bit fazed. "I'm just doing what you asked me to. Keeping you grounded. Staying practical is the only way we're going to find her. And it may help if we give the police some more likely suspects to work with." Jill sighed. "You told me about someone that Claire went head to head with last year, someone she helped send to prison. What was his name?"

Chris frowned. "Frederic Downing," he said in a low dangerous tone.

* * *

There had been no answer when Katherine called her brother's co-worker, and she left a message asking for a call back. Afterwards, she decided she was getting antsy waiting around the police station, especially when she was told that Chris Redfield had left. Sensing her mood, John suggested that they go out for lunch as a means of distracting themselves.

Katherine, however, wouldn't be placated right away. "I wish I could say it's Jasmine's fault Elliott is missing. Would make this so much simpler."

John glanced at her. He sighed when he saw her looking out the car window with her hands folded over the gentle swell of her abdomen. "I'd say simple went out the window now that we know someone else is unaccounted for," he said softly.

"Someone who we know next to nothing about," Katherine said. "John, for all we know, this Claire Redfield could be the one who made Elliott disappear."

"Kat, please don't. You need to stop looking for a Jasmine wanna-be in every girl your brother meets. And from the way Chris talked, he cares about his sister as much as you do about Elliott."

Katherine tensed at the mention of her brother's ex. "I hope you're right, John."

"I know I'm right. I also know that the Redfield family is more high profile than ours. Maybe what's happened has to do with them." John paused. "Maybe Elliott got mixed up in something involving Claire."

Katherine rubbed the back of her neck. "If Claire was the target of whatever this is, then... God, Elliott could be dead and we just haven't found his body yet."

John silently cursed himself for his need to speculate. Even after six years of marriage, he still sometimes forgot how Katherine's mind worked. He waited until he had parked in the lot of their favorite diner, then turned to face her. Propping one arm on top of the steering wheel, he said, "Kat, don't start thinking the worst. You'll only drive yourself crazy." John put one hand to his wife's face. "Elliott _is_ alive. The police _will_ find him and bring him home. I believe that and so should you," John said firmly.

Katherine looked like she was fighting a smile, but one appeared on her face anyway. "Why do you always have to be such an optimist?" she asked.

John clasped her hand in his. "To keep you from losing hope."

* * *

From the moment that Excella Gionne started talking to her and her partner via a live chat, Detective Gilbert decided she didn't like the woman. Getting ahold of the CEO hadn't been easy, but it would be worth it if it provided some new clues.

"I just heard three hours ago that Miss Claire Redfield is missing," Excella said in a thick Italian accent. There was an arrogance to the CEO's tone that Gilbert hated. "It's just awful. Have you any leads?"

"Nothing concrete," Gilbert answered. The detective cleared her throat, getting straight down to business. "Claire's co-workers say that you decided to attend the fundraiser at the last minute. Can you give us your account of the evening?"

"Where would you like me to start?" Excella asked.

"Walk us through from the time you arrived to your departure."

"I showed up. I ate dinner. I left."

Gilbert pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers, feeling a headache coming on. Her partner spoke in her stead.

"Can you tell us why you needed to bring a couple bodyguards, Miss Gionne?" Salvatore asked. "Was someone threatening you?"

Excella chuckled. "The last threat I got was in the mail half a year ago. But a girl can't be too careful. There is too much global distrust of pharmaceutical companies and their employees these days due to recent events. I've been trying to improve my image by showing support of my company's affiliates. Terra Save, for instance."

"Is it possible that one of your enemies could have targeted Miss Redfield as a means of hurting _your_ image?" Gilbert asked.

Excella hesitated, a frown forming on her face. "It would be dreadful if that were the case. I do hope Miss Redfield is okay."

Gilbert had trouble believing Excella's stance on Claire's well-being. "One last inquiry. Did you observe anything unusual during the event? Anyone acting suspiciously?"

"Not to my knowledge. And my guards said they didn't see anything out of the ordinary." Excella leaned closer to the monitor. "Detectives, I'd like to help fund your investigation. I imagine that 500 thousand would help in running a long-term missing person ad on the local stations and keep the search going for some time."

"It will," Salvatore answered, typing away on the laptop keyboard. "I'm sending you the precinct information now."

"Thank you for your time, Miss Gionne," Gilbert said.

"Keep me posted, detectives," Excella said curtly before shutting down the live chat on her end.

* * *

Almost as soon as she shut down the vid chat, Excella leaned back in her chair with a loud sigh and rubbed her eyes. _That was tiresome,_ she thought. _But at least it casts suspicion elsewhere._

The figure standing on the far side of her office peeled away from the wall, his gloved hands coming together several times in a slow clap. "Bravo, my dear. You put on quite the performance."

Excella grinned. "Thank you, Albert. I hope my coming interactions with the Silver Springs PD and the B.S.A.A. will meet your expectations as well."

He was as cool and collected as ever when he responded, much as Excella desired a smile of appreciation. "I have every confidence you'll do me proud," he said.

* * *

"Twice in one day. Hope this means you have some good news, Chris."

"Promising lead is more like it, Leon. One that I hope you'd be able to interrogate. I remember Claire telling me he's being held in a federal penitentiary near your area."

Leon stopped just inside his doorway, knowing right away who Chris was speaking of. "Downing? Not very likely it's him. Guy couldn't even make himself disappear, let alone someone else."

"Yeah, well, I'd like to know for sure. And even if Downing didn't do anything to Claire, maybe he'd know who did. He ran in some of the same circles as other bioterrorists we've taken down."

Leon didn't have the energy to argue. He just hoped he wasn't agreeing to a fool's errand. "I can be at the prison in under two hours. I'll call you later." Upon hanging up, Leon sighed before stepping back outside and closing the door. _So much for spending a quiet evening at home._


	4. Chapter 4

Resident Evil: Razor's Edge

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Four

Getting in to meet with Frederic Downing was the easy part. Actually getting the man to talk was another matter entirely. Leon knew that the conversation wasn't going to go well when Downing kicked it off with, "You better have a good reason, Mr. Kennedy, for tearing me away from the prison library. I was on the verge of finishing a particularly good book."

"You'll live, I'm sure," Leon said dryly, seating himself at the table across from Downing. "I'm in no mood to worry if you're happy or not."

Downing leaned back in his seat, unsmiling. "Since we're not going to be exchanging pleasantries, do enlighten me on why you're here."

Leon kept his face blank. "Claire Redfield is missing."

Downing hesitated, then had the nerve to smile. "And you automatically suspect me. How droll."

"Cut the crap. You have just cause to want to harm her."

Downing folded his hands together over the table. "I don't feel inclined to put your mind at ease, Mr. Kennedy. But that could change if you make it worth my while."

Leon resisted the urge to flinch. _Two can play this game,_ he thought. "Talking to you directly is nothing more than a courtesy. It's an easy matter to speak with the guards about your activities and check the visitors list to see if you've had any."

Downing removed his glasses to rub his eyes. If anything, the man was smart enough to know when he'd been beaten. "And you won't find anything incriminating. Any friends I had died in Raccoon City. And the only one I've made since – Senator Davis – wants nothing to do with me. There's no one left to connect me to the workings of the outside world."

Leon was silent for a moment. It was hard to believe that Downing was so disconnected that he wouldn't know or have heard that the senator was dead. "Fine, let's say you don't know anything, that your hands are clean in this. What could you possibly trade me if I do you a favor?"

"Allow me to make two phone calls – one supervised, one private – and I may be able to provide you with a lead."

"And who would you be dialing on this private call?"

"That's confidential," Downing said with a smug smile.

Leon scoffed and rose from his seat. Turning toward the door and taking a step away, he said, "No deal."

"Fine. But don't come crying to me if the little minx turns up dead."

Leon's temper flared. He turned back, lunging at Downing with one hand curled into a fist. At the last second, Leon stopped, pulling his punch. It was nevertheless satisfying to see Downing flinch at the prospect of getting hit.

Leon resisted the urge to smirk. "Consider yourself lucky you're dealing with me and not Claire's brother. Though maybe that's a meeting I should arrange. I'm sure he'd love to hear your opinion."

"Make all the threats you like, Mr. Kennedy, but it won't help you find her. And the source I wish to contact won't speak to anyone but me."

"Why ask to make two calls then? Who else are you hoping to talk to?"

"To a mutual acquaintance of ours. Angela Miller."

"She's not going to want to speak to you," Leon said.

"Beg to differ. I told you the truth when I said I don't have any friends or people to keep me in the loop. But Miss Miller has paid me a number of visits in the past year," Downing asked. "The visitor logs will attest to that much." When Leon didn't say anything in response, Downing couldn't help but gloat. "Cat got your tongue, Mr. Kennedy?"

* * *

Chris and Jill were back at the police station, seated in one of the break rooms, when the return call came from Leon. Chris put his phone on speaker so his partner could listen in.

"Downing doesn't know where Claire is," Leon said. "But he implied that he could find out. He won't say how or from whom."

"You know him best, Leon. What's your call?" Chris asked.

"I consider him too manipulative to play into his hand. But that doesn't mean I'm writing him off. I'll do some further digging on my end and hope it pans out."

"Thanks, Leon."

"Don't mention it. Any further developments on your end?"

Chris sighed. "I paid the rent on my sister's apartment through the next month. But the landlord said he can't always be around to look after her cat. Don't suppose you'd be interested in a pet?"

"Unfortunately, the building where I live has a strict 'No Pets Allowed' policy. Sorry."

"Well, I had to ask," Chris said in discouragement. He filled Leon in on the last email that Sherry had received from Claire. "It was sent the day my sister disappeared, and Claire didn't act like anything was out of the ordinary. So whatever happened, it looks like it was sudden."

There was a short silence on Leon's end. "In that case, I would take a close look on what occurred at the fundraiser. Maybe see if you can find any footage of Claire's trip home."

"The police looked through traffic cams already and didn't find anything," Jill answered. "The most we know is that Claire and Elliott left the banquet hall within seconds of each other. There's nothing that indicates what happened to either of them after that." She leaned forward. "The best we can do is pursue whatever leads we have, even Frederic Downing. Keep us apprised on what you find out from him, Leon."

"Agreed." There was another short silence, then Leon added, "As far as Claire's cat goes, I may have a short term solution for you. I'm sure that Sherry would like having a pet to take care of."

"Good point," Chris said with a nod. "Thanks for the suggestion."


End file.
